PSY100H1 Chapter Notes -Melatonin, Amygdala, Basal Forebrain

• School: UTSG
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY100H1
• Professor: Ashley Waggoner Denton

Document Summary

Many brain regions are more active during sleep than during wakefulness. Sufficient sleep is important for the memory: sleep is an altered state of consciousness. When you sleep, you are not conscious, but your brain still processes information and, to some extent, remains aware of your environment. When people are awake, their brains neurons are extremely active, as evidenced by short, frequent, desynchronized brain signals known as beta waves. When people close their eyes and relax, brain activity slows and becomes more synchronized a pattern that produces alpha waves. Sleep occurs in stages, as evidenced by changes in eeg readings: In stage one you can be aroused easily. In stage two your breathing slows and you are less affected by external stimulations. As people age and sleep lighter, their eegs show fewer sleep spindles. People still process information in stage 4, as the mind continues to evaluate the environment for potential danger.